Impact absorbing harness for industrial safety helmet

ABSTRACT

It is a typical harness conformed by a hard outer shell ( 1 ) that usually projects a front visor ( 2 ), and an optional crown with ventilation ports ( 3 ), enclosed in an inner harness (A) that lays on the wearer&#39;s head, keeping a considerable clearance in respect of the inner face of the shell ( 1 ). The helmet is put on the wearer&#39;s head and is positioned using an adjustable annular headband ( 4 ). The harness is a crowned thin structure conformed by curved portions of different width and equal thickness, which form stretching deformation portions based on the energy transferred during an impact. Thanks to the sizing of the curved portions that form the crowned structure, stretching deformation occurs at temperatures ranging from −18° C. to 50° C. The crowned structure is shaped from an upper elliptic portion ( 5 ) that delimits a vast upper and central opening ( 6 ) that is substantially elliptic, from which radial portions extend ( 7  and  8 ) until reaching a lower adjustable annular headband. This upper elliptic portion ( 5 ) presents two diametrically opposed stretched openings ( 9  and  10 ), through which it is subdivided in two internal curved portions of lesser width ( 11  and  12 ), opposed to the respective external curved portions, which are wider ( 13 ) and ( 14 ).

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

An IMPACT ABSORBING HARNESS FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY HELMET is disclosed. A patent of invention is applied for, given the importance of this impact absorbing layer that makes this helmet stand out from the rest of the helmets of this type, already known.

Typically, any industrial safety helmet comprises a hard outer shell, usually oval shaped or oval head, made of a hard material with smooth finish constituting the helmet's overall outer shape.

This shell is supplemented with a harness that keeps the helmet properly fit on the head, while absorbing the kinetic energy during the impact and thus reducing the consequences of the shocks transferred to the wearer's head.

This invention refers to a novel harness conceived and designed to absorb impact energy based on an operation principle called “controlled deformation”, for which it defines sections or portions specifically designed to act as “fuses”, which stretch out in case of an impact on the helmet.

The invented harness deforms in a controlled fashion to absorb every impact on the helmet. This is called deformation absorption.

To this end, the harness of this invention defines a structure of plastic material laid out in portions of different widths and curvatures distributed in a way that they conform a crown that lays on the top part of the wearer's head.

The invented harness includes “fuse” portions of smaller dimensions than others, so that deformation absorption occurs on a sequential basis, i. e. narrower portions deform firstly and wider portions, secondly.

It is worth mentioning that the capacity to absorb the energy from every impact occurs within a wide range of temperatures and at a cost lower than that of traditional cloth harnesses.

In fact, this invention harness is defined as a flat structure of plastic material apt to act efficiently at temperatures that range from −18° C. to 50° C.

Therefore, this is a novel harness that works not only based on the impact absorbing capacity of the material it is made up of and on its structural design, but also on the stretching capacity provided by the configuration of the portions that form it.

It is an invention that defines a new combination of elements conceived to achieve a better result, a combination that is both unpredictable and surprising even for a relevant expert. Consequently, apart from being new, its construction and functional concept shows a clear inventiveness resulting in an invention that meets the conditions required by law to be considered an invention patent.

PRIOR ART

Industrial safety helmets are mainly used to provide protection to wearers against impacts or penetration from light falling objects that might cause brain injury or skull fracture.

Protection helmets reduce the amount of strength of impact shocks, but cannot provide full head protection against hard blows and/or penetration.

Helmets meeting this standard provide limited protection, but must be efficient against small falling tools, small wood pieces, screws, nuts, rivets, sparks and similar hazards.

This type of helmets is generally used in the following industries:

Iron and steel industry Paper industry

Mining

Chemical industry Construction industry

Logistics

Power plants and electrical distribution Naval industry

Oil and gas

Agricultural industry Nuclear industry Governmental agencies

According to prevailing standards, helmets must include, at least, one shell and one harness. At the same time, the harness must include suspension, morocco leather, antiperspirant strap and nape strap.

Some models may include an impact absorbing pad fitted between the shell and the suspension element.

In effect, an industrial safety helmet typically comprises a hard shell of rigid material and smooth finish that forms the overall outer helmet shape. It usually includes a visor, i.e. an extension of the shell, above the eyes as well as a brim that surrounds the edge of the shell.

This shell lays on a harness that keeps the helmet properly fit on the head, while absorbing the kinetic energy during an impact.

As a rule, the harness conforms a crowned structure that covers the top of the wearer's head and lays totally or partially on it, above the eyes.

In some cases it also includes a nape strap for head size adjustment at the rear part of the head, as well as a chinstrap to adjust the helmet on the head.

Helmet shells are usually made of such plastic materials as high-density polyethylene, ABS, or polycarbonate, whereas harnesses are usually made of cloth straps and plastic strips.

In order to reduce head contusions, the helmet must fulfill the following conditions, among others:

To limit the force transferred to the skull by distributing the energy in the greater surface possible (impact absorption).

To direct falling objects away thanks to a properly smooth and rounded shape. Helmets with protruding edges tend to stop falling objects instead of directing them away, and, therefore, absorb more kinetic energy than totally smooth ones.

To dissipate and disperse the potential impact energy by distributing it over a period of time and by transforming it into deformation action and heat in order to reduce the energy transferred, so that it is not totally transferred to the head and neck.

At present, most harnesses are intended to be sufficiently flexible to deform in case of impacts, without them touching the inner surface of the hard outer shell.

This deformation, which absorbs almost the whole shock energy, is limited by the sizing of the clearance between the hard shell and the wearer's skull.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION—ADVANTAGES

The impact absorbing helmet this invention refers to is apt to be used in conventional industrial safety helmets conformed by a shell of hard plastic material and by a plastic harness made up of a crowned structure of specific design that allows for energy impact absorption, within the range of temperatures required by the relevant standards.

In this case, the shell may be made up of such plastic material as high density polyethylene, ABS, or polycarbonate; the harness is also made of a plastic material, and it stands out because of its configuration that includes portions of uniform thickness and different widths and curvatures, conforming a crowned body whose dimension is similar to the upper part of the wearer's head.

The main advantage of the plastic harness invented is related to its capacity to efficiently absorb impact energy, within a wide range of temperatures, at a cost that is lower than that of conventional harnesses.

In case of impact, helmets typically behave in a different way at high temperatures (50° C.) than at low temperatures (−18° C.).

At high temperatures the materials of both the shell and the harness are softer and more deformable, whereas at low temperatures, the opposite occurs. This is the reason why at high temperatures both the shell and the harness get deformed, whereas at low temperatures it is basically the harness that operates.

In relation to the harness of this invention, what is realized when impacts occur is a controlled or programmed deformation, thanks to the sizing of the different portions that form the crowned structure, which are capable of efficiently absorb the energy of every impact at temperatures ranging from −18° C. to 50° C.

In this particular case, at the moment the helmet receives an impact, the thin portions of the harness act as true fuses; they begin to sequentially deform: the nearest portions first and, in case of an important impact, the widest portions afterwards. These portions stretch, with a sequential absorption work taking place.

In effect, according to this invention, the harness is not an elastic structure. Nor does it have elastic memory. It produces deformation absorption, this being the great functional advantage that makes it stand out from the rest of the helmets currently existing. Sequential deformation consists in the gradual deformation of portions, from the narrowest to the widest ones.

The invented harness is deemed to allow the energy from each impact to be turned into the action that produces stretching deformation in the portions that conform it.

It is also considered that in case the helmet receives important impacts, the thinnest portions may break, in which case the whole helmet must be discarded.

Inventiveness

No safety helmet harness currently existing offers, not even suggests, the construction solution mentioned above. Consequently, this proposal is not only innovative but also clearly inventive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

To show the advantages briefly commented—to which users and relevant experts may add much more—and to facilitate the understanding of the construction, structure and functional characteristics of the harness invented, below is a description of a preferred example, sketched at no specific scale, in the attached sheets, for illustrative purposes only. It is clearly understood that it is an example. As such, it does not limit the scope of the protection of this invention patent, but intends to explain and illustrate the concept on which it is based.

FIG. 1 illustrates a partial inner view in perspective that shows the basic elements conforming a conventional industrial safety helmet.

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged detail that shows the impact absorbing harness of this invention, mounted on a normalized head mold, which depicts the shape it takes after an impact on an exact point.

FIG. 3 illustrates the harness invented in rest position before receiving the impact.

FIG. 4 illustrates the shape of the harness invented adopted when the helmet receives the impact established in normalized tests.

FIG. 5 illustrates the shape of the harness invented adopted when the helmet receives an impact with a great deal of energy that exceeds the normalized requirements.

Numbers and letters shown as references correspond to the same or equivalent parts or elements of the whole set across all figures, according to the example chosen to exemplify the harness invented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EXAMPLE

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional industrial safety helmet is composed of a hard outer shell (1) that usually projects a front visor (2) and, optionally, ventilation ports (3), which enclose an inner harness (A) that lays on the wearer's head and keeps a considerable clearance in respect of the inner face of the shell (1). The helmet is put on the wearer's head and is positioned using an annular adjustable headband (4).

As explained above, the harness has been conceived to offer comfort to the wearer as well as protection and safety. It absorbs the energy produced by impacts on an exact point.

In this particular case, a novel harness has been developed, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. It stands out because of the special element added to produce the absorption of the energy transferred with each impact.

The energy of each impact is absorbed by means of the controlled deformation occurred in portions that conform the harness, especially designed for this purpose.

As shown in FIG. 2, the harness invented comprises a crowned structure that is shaped from an upper elliptic portion (5) that delimits a vast upper and central opening (6) that is preferably circular. Radial portions (7 and 8) start from there and extend until reaching the shell and the lower adjustable annular headband mentioned above.

The above-mentioned radial portions marked (7) are wider than the radial portions marked (8); hence, they provide higher resistance to the stretching deformation when an impact occurs on an exact point of the helmet.

As shown in FIG. 2, the harness created stands out because the upper elliptic portion mentioned (5), as appeared in the preferred example chosen, presents two diametrically opposed portions that include the respective stretched openings (9 and 10) through which each of the opposing portions is subdivided in two internal curved portions of lesser width (11 and 12), opposed to the external curved portions of higher width (13 and 14).

FIGS. 2 to 5 show the operation principle realized by the harness invented.

FIG. 3 shows the harness (A) in rest position, in which case all portions conforming its crowned structure keep their natural configuration. Nevertheless, it is clearly shown that internal curved portions (11 and 12) are less wide than external curved portions (13 and 14).

FIG. 4 shows how the same harness (A) behaves when an impact occurs on an exact point of the helmet body. Furthermore, in this case, it shows the stretching deformation occurred in the internal curved portions (11 and 12) mentioned above, after absorbing part of the impact energy.

FIG. 5 shows how the same harness of the above-mentioned figures behaves in case of an impact of greater energy, in which case, after the stretching deformation produced in the internal curved portions (11 and 12) referred to above, stretching deformation occurs in the external curved portions (13 and 14). 

Thus, both the nature and the main purpose of the present invention, as well as the way that said invention can be realized, having herein been described and exemplified, it is hereby claimed the property and exclusive rights of what follows:
 1. IMPACT ABSORBING HARNESS FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY HELMET, conformed by a hard outer shell that usually projects a front visor and, optionally, a crown with ventilation ports, enclosing an inner harness that lays on the wearer's head, and keeping a considerable clearance in respect of the inner face of the shell, which is put on the wearer's head and positioned using an annular adjustable headband, characterized by the harness's crowned thin structure conformed by curved portions of different width and equal thickness, which form stretching deformation portions based on the energy transferred during an impact.
 2. IMPACT ABSORBING HARNESS FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY HELMET, as claimed in 1, characterized by the sizing of the curved portions that form the crowned structure, which cause stretching deformation at temperatures ranging from −18° C. to 50° C.
 3. IMPACT ABSORBING HARNESS FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY HELMET, as claimed in 1, characterized by the crowned structure, which is shaped from an upper elliptic portion that delimits a vast upper and central opening that is substantially circular, from which radial portions extend until reaching a lower adjustable annular headband.
 4. IMPACT ABSORBING HARNESS FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY HELMET, as claimed in 3, characterized by radial portions that extend until reaching a lower adjustable annular headband and include radial portions of different widths.
 5. IMPACT ABSORBING HARNESS FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY HELMET, as claimed in 3, characterized by the upper elliptic portion, which presents two diametrically stretched openings, through which it is subdivided in two internal curved portions of lesser width, opposed to the respective external curved portions, which are wider. 